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On Friday, Clarke became summer signing number four when he put pen-to-paper on a one-year deal with the Mariners.

It means he will team-up with Slade for a third time, having worked with him at Leyton Orient and Coventry City previously – and at both clubs Clarke was immediately named as captain.

Slade added: “Nathan (Clarke) was always on the radar.

“The thing is with him, he was still looking for League One football, which he is more than capable of still playing.

“We had to be patient with that one, and we had other irons in the fire, as you probably well know.

“When it got close to the start of the pre-season, he didn’t want any of that so we quickly did a deal to bring him here, once we had made our minds up.”

As they continue the search for new signings, Town have been linked with a loan move for Nottingham Forest youngster Tyler Walker, while free-agent Nicky Maynard – who played under Slade at Cardiff City – is thought to be on the radar.

Slade continued: “It’s a work in progress at the minute. That is the best way to describe it.”